Casino Industry Opposition Defeats Michigan Historical Horse Racing Bill

Can you please rewrite the following sentence? <br><br>”I went to the store to buy some groceries, but they were out of stock.”

The future of Michigan’s racing industry has been put at risk as legislation legalizing historical horse racing was not passed this year.

For the second consecutive year, the House chose not to pursue the bill, while the Senate approved it alongside a series of gaming bills towards the end of the previous year.

Earlier this month, there seemed to be a glimmer of hope for the bill as a House committee made amendments and pushed the legislation forward. The revisions appeared to take into account certain concerns raised by Michigan casinos and gaming tribes.

According to co-sponsor Sen. Dan Lauwers, the governor was not going to sign the bill due to the continued opposition from the Michigan casinos and tribes, despite previous beliefs that they would drop their opposition.

Lauwers stated that they would regroup and reevaluate the situation next year.

In my opinion, we can introduce certain modifications to reduce the level of perceived threat, especially for casinos. By implementing these changes, we might be able to secure the support of the governor.

Casino won’t budge on historical horse racing

According to Dann Stupp from PlayVirginia, during a recent visit to a legal HHR venue in Virginia, he observed that the HHR machines resembled, operated, and felt similar to slot machines, despite being games that derive their outcomes from historical horse races.

This is the reason why both commercial and tribal casinos have a dislike for them. Representative Brandt Iden attempted to address this concern by amending the bill, which involved placing a restriction of 500 HHR machines per track. However, these changes did not fully satisfy their concerns.

If the HHR bill had been implemented, Fred Harrington, a tribal council member representing the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, stated that the tribes would no longer have continued making gaming payments to the state, according to Playinmichigan.

Harrington stated that going against our agreement goes against our agreement. They assured us that we wouldn’t have to face competition in order to obtain the agreement. The sole purpose of paying compact fees is to secure exclusivity. If they violate the agreement by allowing other gaming options, then there is no longer a need for us to pay the compact fees.

Lauwers expressed his belief that the Detroit casinos played a more significant role in impeding the bill’s progress compared to the tribes.

Lauwers expressed, “Regrettably, many individuals mistakenly believe that horse racing and casinos share the same limited pie to compete over. However, I have never perceived horse racing and casinos as being part of the same category.”

Michigan racetracks in a perilous situation

Michigan currently has just one active racetrack, Northville Downs. Located near Detroit, this facility provides live standardbred harness racing as well as simulcast wagering options.

Even prior to the pandemic-induced closures this year, the track was already facing difficulties.

The revival of the vacant Sports Creek Raceway by AmRace & Sports LLC is contingent upon the legalization of HHR by the state. However, since the Michigan legislature has not taken any action, there is a possibility that the deal may not materialize.

Lauwers acknowledged that this places them in a challenging situation where they are compelled to make difficult choices.

To ensure success, we will increase our efforts next year and explore potential solutions to make it a reality. I understand that investment funds are not typically idle, which raises my concern that they might be diverted to another state where they are more appreciated, putting them at risk. I sincerely hope that the investments remain in Michigan.

Future of Michigan historical horse racing

In the upcoming session, Lauwers and Sen. Jim Ananich, the sponsor, will be required to introduce fresh HHR legislation and initiate the process anew.

The sponsors are optimistic about obtaining Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s support if they manage to garner widespread backing from the gaming industry. Lauwers proposed exploring alternative versions of HHR machines that could be deemed more agreeable by the casinos.

He stated that in the absence of the governor’s support, the Senate would not agree even if the bill was sent over by the House.

Therefore, the Senate sponsors withdrew their support for the initiative and opted to approach it from a different perspective in the upcoming year.

Lauwers expressed concern about the potential consequences of sending the proposal to the governor and her subsequent veto. He pointed out that if we were to do so, it would force her to justify why she altered her stance in the following year. On the other hand, if we don’t pressure her into vetoing, it might increase our chances of gaining her support in the future.

Please rewrite the following sentence: “She was very tired and fell asleep immediately.”